1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatuses and methods for manufacturing smoking articles, and components of smoking articles, such as filter elements. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatuses and methods for inserting material within the filter material component that is used for the manufacture of a filter element for a smoking article, such as a cigarette.
2. Description of Related Art
Popular smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially cylindrical rod shaped structure and include a charge, roll or column of smokable material such as shredded tobacco (e.g., in cut filler form) surrounded by a paper wrapper thereby forming a so-called “smokable rod” or “tobacco rod.” Normally, a cigarette has a cylindrical filter element aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, a filter element comprises cellulose acetate tow plasticized using triacetin, and the tow is circumscribed by a paper material known as “plug wrap.” A cigarette can incorporate a filter element having multiple segments, and one of those segments can comprise activated charcoal particles. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,186 to Veluz; PCT Publication No. WO 2006/064371 to Banerjea; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/226,932, filed Sep. 14, 2005, to Coleman III, et al.; each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Typically, the filter element is attached to one end of the tobacco rod using a circumscribing wrapping material known as “tipping paper.” It also has become desirable to perforate the tipping material and plug wrap, in order to provide dilution of drawn mainstream smoke with ambient air. Descriptions of cigarettes and the various components thereof are set forth Tobacco Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al. (Eds.) (1999). A cigarette is employed by a smoker by lighting one end thereof and burning the tobacco rod. The smoker then receives mainstream smoke into his/her mouth by drawing on the opposite end (e.g., the filter end) of the cigarette.
Various attempts to alter the visual attributes of cigarettes have been proposed. For example, there have been attempts to alter the color of the wrapping materials that provide the wrapping material of the tobacco rod (e.g., cigarettes marketed under the trade name “More” by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company possess cigarette rod wrapping papers exhibiting a brown color) and tipping materials used to attach the tobacco rod to the filter element (e.g., tipping materials have been printed so as to possess a “cork” appearance and/or to possess at least one circumscribing ring). In addition, there have been attempts to alter the appearance of the filter elements of cigarettes. See, for example, the types of cigarette filter element formats, configurations and designs set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,663 to Schultz; U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,525 to Berger; U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,736 to Keith; U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,385 to Chumney, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,809 to Pryor et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,814 to Raker; each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The sensory attributes of cigarette smoke can be enhanced by applying additives to tobacco and/or by otherwise incorporating flavoring materials into various components of a cigarette. See, Leffingwell et al., Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1972). For example, one type of tobacco flavoring additive is menthol. See, Borschke, Rec. Adv. Tob. Sci., 19, p. 47-70, 1993. Various proposed methods for modifying the sensory attributes of cigarettes include certain filter elements that may be used for adding flavor to the mainstream smoke of those cigarettes. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0166563 to Jupe et al. proposes the placement of adsorbent and flavor-releasing materials in a cigarette filter. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0020420 to Xue et al. proposes the placement of fibers containing small particle size adsorbents/absorbents in the filter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,486 to Dube et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,905 to Green, Jr. et al., which are incorporated herein by reference, propose manners and methods for the placement of a flavor-containing pellet in each cigarette filter. Other representative types of cigarette filters incorporating flavoring agents are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,335 to Tiggelbeck et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,098 to Owens, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,671 to Bynre; U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,391 to Woods et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,526 to Pryor; U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,829 to Thesing et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,285 to Rivers; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,074,170 to Lanier, Jr. et al.; each of which is incorporated herein by reference. See, also, the types of cigarette filter technologies that are discussed in the background art section set forth in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0261807 to Dube et al.; which is incorporated herein by reference.
It would be highly desirable to provide a smoker with the ability to enhance his/her smoking experience, such as can be accomplished by providing a filtered cigarette possessing a filter element having particular design features. That is, it would be desirable to provide a cigarette possessing filter components that are employed in a manner such that the filter element is aesthetically pleasing. It also would be desirable to provide such a filter element possessing selected design features that can be modified or otherwise controlled. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a filter element for a cigarette that is capable of enhancing the sensory attributes of the mainstream smoke (e.g., by flavoring the mainstream smoke) produced by that cigarette.